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The Tavern in Troy!

St. Patrick’s Day is this Saturday, and you can be sure that many people will be flocking to the South End Tavern in Troy for a delicious meal.

The Tavern was established in 1934 by Marty Burke. Notice the “Ladies Entrance” sign. In the 1930s, the bar was considered to be “men’s territory.” Since Marty wanted to be able to accommodate female customers, he bought the building next door and converted it into a restaurant. To separate the bar from the restaurant, he put up the now-famous Ladies Entrance sign.

Marty’s son Bud was ordered to remove the sign during the women’s liberation movement in the early 70’s, but the Troy City Council stepped in and passed a resolution declaring the South End Tavern a historical site. This let him keep the controversial sign, but women were now permitted in the bar as well as in the restaurant.

Fast forward to today and the South End Tavern is still a family favorite and a staple in the city of Troy. The third generation of Burkes now run it, led by Butch (son of Bud) pictured below.

The most popular meal this time of year is corned beef & cabbage. St. Patrick’s Day is by far the biggest day of the year for the tavern and Butch says about 2,000 customers will make an order on that day. About 500 of that is all take-out orders. They will cook over 1,000 pounds each of corned beef, cabbage and potatoes.

Here are a few more photos from inside a “calm before the storm” South End Tavern. Be sure to stop by and have some of their delicious home cooked food! They are located at 757 Burden Avenue in Troy, right down the hill from “The Joe!” Click here to view their menu.

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